Unit Plan 23 (PreK Science): Environmental Changes

Focus: Observe and describe environmental changes in familiar places and identify ways people help or harm the environment through everyday actions.

Grade Level: PreK

Subject Area: Science (Earth & Space Science • Environmental Awareness • Inquiry/Skills)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session (use two short blocks if needed)

I. Introduction

Children notice change all the time—puddles appear, leaves fall, gardens grow, and playgrounds look different after storms or busy recesses. In this unit, students become “Environment Detectives” who observe a local area (classroom, hallway, playground, garden) and track simple changes over time. They learn that people can help the environment (watering plants, picking up trash, turning off lights) or harm it (littering, wasting water, stepping on plants).

Across the week, children practice careful observation, use simple tools (pictures, charts, before/after drawings), and build a shared class understanding that small choices can protect the places we live and play.

Essential Questions

• What changes do we notice in our environment (classroom, playground, garden) over time?
• How can people help the environment with simple actions?
• How can people harm the environment, even by accident?
• What choices can we make to take care of our space every day?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Use observations to describe changes in a familiar place (before/after, day-to-day, weather changes).
2. Sort actions into “helps the environment” and “harms the environment” using pictures, stories, and real examples.
3. Explain (with words, drawings, or actions) at least one reason why an action is helpful or harmful (e.g., trash can hurt animals; watering helps plants grow).
4. Create a simple class plan of helpful actions to care for the classroom or outdoor area (e.g., “Pick up 5 pieces of trash,” “Turn off lights”).
5. Share learning through a short “Care for Our Environment” poster, drawing, or show-and-tell.

Standards Alignment — PreK (NGSS-based custom)

• PK-ESS3-2 — Observe ways people help or harm the environment.
  • Children identify basic environmental actions.
  • Example: Picking up trash, watering plants, turning off lights.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can tell what I notice about a place (what I see, hear, or feel).
• I can show what changed (before and after).
• I can name something people do that helps the environment.
• I can name something people do that harms the environment.
• I can choose one helpful action we can do at school.